


In Dreams/Forever In The Brilliant

by Topaz_Eyes



Category: Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Genre: Angst, Experimental, Ficlet, Gift Fic, M/M, Prompt Fic, Remix, Remixed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-22
Updated: 2007-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-03 13:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topaz_Eyes/pseuds/Topaz_Eyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ennis dreams of Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evra](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Evra).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack Twist was in his dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the drabble meme: _Give me the first or last line of a drabble and I'll write the rest._ Written for [](http://wickedevra.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://wickedevra.livejournal.com/)**wickedevra**

Jack Twist was in his dream.

As young as Ennis ever remembered him to be, Jack stands still and straight at the rocky river edge with the water glinting in the mountain sun. The cold spring current licks at the toes of his boots. Facing away from Ennis, only the back of his head underneath his black cowboy hat is visible.

Ennis, watching Jack from the grassy edge of the clearing, calls out to him to _wait, the river is too fast_, too swollen with the spring runoff to cross. But though his mouth forms the words his voice dies in his throat and he can make no sound. Icy fear clenches his stomach as Jack, heedless, takes another step forward, the water rising to mid-calf. Ennis tries to scream now for him to stop but Jack still keeps wading deeper in. At the third step the river is up to Jack's thigh and lapping up to his hip, jeans turning indigo with the wet. Ennis stands paralyzed, helpless as Jack's fourth step submerges him to his waist. Two more steps and Jack will be swept away from him forever.

The smells of horse and pine across the river carry over the crisp air as Jack turns round and extends his hand. "Cross with me, friend," he says.

Ennis blinks; Jack's aged now, as grey and sad and weary as when Ennis last saw him alive. But _oh Lord_ Jack's smiling and he's young again and he's forgiven. He's _forgiven_.

That breaks the stubborn hold of earth on his feet and he plunges forward, covering the distance across rock and memory in five, six, seven strides. He can't keep Jack waiting any longer; the chill of the water strikes his worn boots as he steps into the current and reaches out towards him. It don't matter anymore if they make it to the other side--just only that they do it together.

But when their fingers touch, in that second Jack dissolves forever in the brilliant sun, leaving Ennis to wake up drowning in river and sky.


	2. Forever in the Brilliant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ennis dreams of Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Generated from Chapter One, "In Dreams," using the [cut-up method](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut-up_technique) made popular by W.S. Burroughs. The cut-up engine I used was <http://www.godsrudewireless.co.uk/cutup/>, set to 2-8 word fragments, and edited for coherence.

Not two minutes after his head hits the pillow, Ennis sleeps, and dreams of Jack: his Jack Twist, in the river high on Brokeback, the water lapping up his thigh.

But the black cowboy hat is facing away, and the river is too fast. Wading deeper in, sad and weary, Ennis blinks as Jack turns: Jack's aged now, as gray as any, his face longer, and his gaze says it don't matter anymore if they make it.

Icy fear clenches as when Ennis last saw him alive; his mouth forms the words but his voice dies with the water. In that second Jack is at the grassy edge of the clearing, his boots as worn as when their fingers last touched. He extends his hand and calls out.

"Cross with me, friend."

At the third step, the river is straight out towards him. Forgiven. He's forgiven, and it's like forever in the brilliant sun, leaving Ennis to wake up inside; just only that his boots make no sound.

His jeans turn indigo with water at his hip. Jack's smiling and he's young again and he's forward, covering the distance across. The cold spring current licks at Ennis, who tries to scream now for him, and he steps into the current and reaches, visible.

Ennis, up to his waist, watches Jack drowning in river and sky. Just two more--he can't keep Jack waiting paralyzed. He's helpless as Jack's fourth step submerges him. The river carries, breaks the stubborn hold of earth on the rocky river edge--they have to do it together. His throat burns in the crisp air, but he can make it to cross though swollen with the spring runoff. Then another ten feet and he plunges into mountain sun.

His stomach flips as Jack, heedless, takes another dream. As young as Ennis ever was, though only the back of his head is visible underneath; but oh Lord, another five, six, seven strides and the river will take Jack away from him forever again. Until the smell of horse steps forward, the water rising to mid-calf. He breathes in crisp air as Jack turns round, carved of rock and memory and glinting in the sun; the chill of the water strikes Ennis as he stops, and stands still.


End file.
